Higher Education Support Program

The Higher Education Support Program works to promote open society values by supporting universities that nurture critical minds, defend pluralism, and foster active citizenship. Working with grantees and partners in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, we support innovative teaching and research, intellectual freedom, the expansion of access to higher education for disadvantaged groups, and good practices in university governance. Since the early 1990s, we have supported over 50 colleges and universities which share and promote the values of open society. Many of the institutions we have supported are now regional centers of critical thinking, civic engagement, innovative pedagogy, and programs to promote service to the community and to transform student experiences and learning. We collaborate with universities, higher education authorities, and civil society organizations to improve higher education governance standards. The program is committed to advancing university autonomy and academic freedom by supporting regional and global voices who promote independent and critical thought. We support the development of new knowledge and fields that are of critical importance to open societies. This includes research, teaching and academic activism on the issues of human rights and social and economic justice. We believe that people who have been forced from their homes by war and conflict are still able to study, learn, and continue academic work. While the program does not provide individual scholarships or fellowships, we support institutions that create innovative programs in direct response to refugee crises around the world.